Fall in Love

Can you feel it? There's a change in the air that is nearly imperceptible if you are not looking for it. I know everyone has their favorite season. Allow me to have mine.  

Yes, winter is wonderful with gentle snowfalls, crisp air, and temperatures that drive us indoors to enjoy fireplaces and hot cocoa and hearty meals. Spring is lovely with its tulips, daffodils, and budding trees. There's nothing like a summer vacation to recharge the batteries...swimming and touring...so, so fun. But there's just something about fall.

When I've had it with the heat, and pulling weeds, and air-conditioning; when I finally give up on "getting that body bikini-ready in two weeks" (it must have to do with my STARTING POINT); when I'm done with baking in the sun; I look forward to fall most of all!

Pumpkin Oatmeal.  Mmmm...

Nothing makes me more sentimental than looking at fall leaves, and smelling that earthy smell mixed with pine trees and decaying leaves in the mountains. I love the day I finally get to pull out my sweaters. That means I can finally hide underneath the soft knitted yarns the body that never got ready for a bikini the previous season. Pulling on jeans and a sweater takes me back to high school days in Virginia. Cozy, comfortable, calm.  Mmmm...

I'm not a big cocoa drinker, but I always buy it to have on hand, just in case! Recipes featuring pumpkin, apples, spice, or caramel speak to me. Every available fall-scented candle is on stand-by, ready to fill our home with enticing fragrance.  

Pumpkin Custard from
Cracker Barrel

Last fall, Cracker Barrel offered the most scrumptious dessert. I happened to be there for breakfast, but that didn't stop me. Ordering that bowl of Pumpkin Custard 'n' Gingersnaps was a decadent pleasure that to this day makes my mouth water.  How I hope they offer it this year, too!

Today I baked Amish Friendship Bread. Smelling the cinnamon wafting through the house made me feel so serene. Bridger put on his hoody, and sat on the porch playing his guitar while we waited for the muffins and loaves to bake. This morning was a sneak preview of another wonderful fall to come.

Just a few days ago, I caught my first glimpse of autumn in the canyon.  There was a fleeting flash of red in the trees as we sped by on our four-wheelers. My heart skipped a beat, and I grinned from ear to ear. It's coming. It's just around the corner. Until fall is in full costume here, I will satisfy myself with pictures from our previous autumn.